Henry johnson



UNITED. PATENT, OFFICE.

HENRY JOHNSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRIOTOF COLUMBIA.

WAY MAIL-BAG.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 4,475, dated April 25, 1846; Antedated December 9, 1845.

To all whom t may concern: A

Be it known that I, HENRY JOHNSON, of t-he city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have made certain new and useful Improvements in the Manner of Constructing Bags for the Conveyance of Letters 'and Parcels, usually denominated Mail-Bagsg and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and eXact description thereof.

The improved main bags are of the kind known as way mail bags which are to pass to and fro on the same route; they are to be made of india rubber cloth or of other water proof material, and the improvements therein consist in the so arranging and combining of the respective parts as that they may be submerged in water for a considerable length of time without the danger of wetting their contents; that there shall be but little danger of their being mis-sent, as not unfrequent-ly happens, from the manner in which they are labeled not being of that striking character which is necessary in establishments, such as post oiiices where every thing should be promptly done; they are also to be provided with an aperture through which letters or papers may be put into the bag without its being necessary to open the lock, while the abstracting of them through the same opening shall be rendered very ditlicult. By means of this last provision the services of many persons now employed as agents may be dispensed with, and economy thereby promoted in the Post- Oftice Department.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a direct view of the upper part of one of my improved way mail bags with the necessary openings, and the means of securing the same. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same made vertically from front to back through the middle of Fig. 1.

The mouth or principal opening into this bag consists of flexible india rubber cloth, which, when the bag is to be closed, is rolled up inthe manner of a scroll as seen at A A; this will close it so completely as efectually to prevent the passage of water although immersed therein for many hours or days. B is a strap which is passed over the roll of cloth on to one of the staples C C, after which the flap D D is folded down and passed on to the said staples.

E E is a strap by which the flap D D is to be held down by passing it through the staples in the manner in which the chains in genera-l use are ordinarily passed; this strap is also labeled on each of its sides for the purpose of designating the two places between which it is to travel; if, for eX- ample it is to go to and fro between Washington and Baltimore it is to have the name of Vashingto-n on one of itssides and the name of Baltimore on the other. These names being conspicuously stamped thereon, it can scarcely be overlooked and mis-sent. It will also be known at intermediate stopping placesl which route the'bag is to go while in the ordinary modes of labeling this information is not communicated and they sometimes 0o back to the place from which they starte The leather strap as used by me will be foundnot only more pleasant to use than the chains but more certain in showing the clandestine opening of a bag as in this case the strap must actually be separated while the link of a cha-in may be opened and bent back in such a way as to escape detection.

F F is a metallic box or secondary mouth piece for admitting the passing of letters and papers into the bag without the necessity of unlocking and opening the principal mouth. This is to be made of stout sheet metal which is to be riveted to the material of which the bag is made lit has a lid or cover G G that is closed by a clasp or clasps The hinge part and the interior of this lid may be covered with elastic india-rubber cloth so as to render its juncture impervious to water; the lid or cover is to be no wider than is necessary for the insertion of papers: From this secondary mouth there proceeds'a'bag-like throat Z) b which is open at bottom where it terminates in fringe-like shreds c c that lend their aid in rendering the abstraction of papers ditliculteven with the aid of any instrument devised for the purpose. A second flap H H is made to cover the box F F: In Fig. 1 the lower portion of this is not represented as it would hide said box.

Having thus fully described the nature of my improvements in mail bags what I claim as new therein and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The manner in which I have formed and arranged the rolled mouth piece as described, I also claim the Combining of the attained; the destination of the bag is insecondai'y mouth piece with the mail bag, dicated, and lightness and economy of con- 10 arranged lubstantlally a' set foih. b1 struction are promoted.

2. I li eWise e aim t e use o a eXi e strap, or belt, as a substitute for the chain; l HENRY JOHNSON' said strap o1' belt being made reversible, Witnesses: and labeled on its opposite sides, by the THos. P. JONES, use of which strap additional security is ALLEN WARD. 

